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“Fucking fuck! You scared the shit out of me. Durian said you were dragged off by an ex-felon, and you haven’t been answering my calls.”

I wince. “Durian… He’s…”

“Been an extra creep towards you?” She lowers her voice. “Finally!! I have only kept him around because I thought you knew what you were getting into with him. Girl, he always gave bad vibes, but I respected that you needed normalcy. To make your own choices. But we can drop him. You and me against the world.”

Tears form in my eyes, and I wipe them away.

And remember I am entirely shirtless—braless too.

Fuck, I’m an idiot. Nothing says professional like flashing my client’s neighborhood.

“I—” I hiccup. “I miss you, Olive. I started my business, and I have been getting jobs, but it’s not fun. Everything keeps going wrong, and everyone is mean and scary. And they paid me in Bitcoin? I don’t think I am cut out for this.”

“Cinny,” she coos. “I love you, girl. And I am always here when you need me. You are always welcome on my tour bus.”

“But my bad luck—”

“Has never once affected me. And who even says you have bad luck? Is it causation or correlation?”

I want to argue with her, but she’s already hedging forward.

“What about this? You meet at my house, and then we go on a date tonight, and then dancing?”

“I do like dancing. But…”

“No buts, sweetpea. It’s just you and me.”

“I need a change of clothes. I, uh…lost my shirt?”

Making a U-turn in the middle of the road, I redirect towards Olive’s house.

I was heading back to Orzo’s house without thought.

Honk!

Whipping off to the right, I dodge a car before settling back in my lane.

“You really need to learn to drive. And what do you mean you lost your shirt? And what has been going on with the cooking?

I spend the rest of the car ride filling her in on all the meals I’ve made and realizing how much I need and love Olive in my life.

***

“My ass is going to fall out of this,” I say for the fortieth time.

“You made it so far without showing it to anyone. But trust me, if they saw your ass, there would be no complaints.” Olive shoulder checks me lightly but then grabs my arm. “Come on, Steve will just let us in.”

We’re outside a familiar club with a familiar man at the door. “Why are we here again? I like the other spot off main street.”

This is where I broke my nose.

I still can’t believe that was Orzo.

“This club isn’t filled with dirty drugs.” She pauses as she turns to the bouncer who’s waving us inside. “Thanks, Steve!” She turns back to me and continues, “This club is owned by the Rouxs and their establishments keep the bullshit out.”

The bouncer’s eyes linger on Olive’s star-shaped wasabi hair, before bouncing directly to my chest.

But he only gets a single second of staring before Olive yanks me into the crowd inside.